Former Soil Conservation Service employee and longtime writer Mat Taylor offers his outdoors column for Dispatch Record readers. He can be contacted at (254) 518-2262 or via email at mntaylor@agristar.net. I recently received, in the mail, the 2008- 09 Applications for Drawing on Public Land booklet published by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. If you applied for a hunt last year, you should also have received a copy. If you did not apply last season, the booklets are available at TPWD law enforcement offices or online.

As it has done for many years, the department will conduct special drawings for hunts for a number of quality, affordable hunting experiences. During the upcoming hunting seasons, more than 5,700 hunters will be selected through random computer drawings allowing access to some of the state's high-quality managed wildlife habitat. Wildlife management areas, state parks and leased private property will be available for these supervised hunts for white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn, javelina, exotics, feral hogs, spring turkey and even alligator.

I applied for several hunts last year and was successfully drawn for an antlerless deer hunt on the Walter Buck Wildlife Management Area near Junction. Even though I did not kill a deer, I enjoyed the hunt.

Hunters may select from among 29 different hunt categories, including eight specifically for youth only, and may choose a preferred hunt date.

In some cases, up to four hunters can apply together on one application.

Eight free youth-only hunt categories are available to hunters between the ages of 8-16 at the time of application. Hunt positions are randomly selected in a computer drawing from correctly completed entries received by the specified date.

Hunters drawn in the special permit hunts are not required to use a tag off their hunting license on white-tailed deer or mule deer taken during the hunt. The hunters will be issued a free TPWD legal deer tag at the area when they bring their harvested animals to the check station. This will allow the public hunters additional opportunity to use their license tags.

The application fee for adult applicants in most of the public hunt drawings is $3 per adult on the application. Successfully drawn hunters pay an additional Special Permit fee ($75-$125 in most cases) for a one- to four-day hunt.

Special Permit fees do not apply to drawn hunts for pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, guided hunts at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and drawn hunts on private land. Guided hunts and private land hunts cost $10 per adult person on the application.

If you want to apply for one or more of the hunts, you had better hurry and get your booklet and complete the applications. The deadline for alligator hunts is Aug. 5. For pronghorn antelope hunts on private land or the Rita Blanca National Grassland north of Dalhart, the deadline is Aug. 14. Bowhunters also have until Aug. 14 to apply for special drawn archery hunts.

Entries for the general (gun) season deer hunts must be received by Sept. 4. Deadline for the Guided Bighorn Sheep Hunt is Nov. 4.

The odds of getting drawn for some hunts are very small. For example, last year, 4,233 hunters applied for only seven pronghorn antelope permits. However, you may have a 25 percent chance of getting drawn in other hunt categories.

Last year TPWD received 44,928 applications for the 5,583 positions offered in special drawn hunt categories. The odds are against you, but you won't be selected if you do not put your name in the hat.

The hunt booklet and applications may be picked up at TPWD law enforcement offices. The nearest office is in Temple.

There also is an office in Brownwood. You also may call toll free (800) 792-1112 for information and to request a booklet. The 2008-09 booklet is available online on the Web site: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/ hunt/public.

I have been looking over my booklet and trying to decide what hunts for which I will apply. I am leaning toward one of the antelope or mule deer hunts, and one of the private land whitetail hunts. Good luck.